George Johnson - The Whistling Coon - 1891 (The first recording by an African-American)

George Johnson's song Whistling Coon was one of the most popular of the Coon songs of the 1850-90s. While the records and the imagery that goes along with them are offensive, these are pioneering African-American recordings and songs. There are a number of virtually lost African-American songwriters from this period who tend to be left out of the Great American Song Book. Virtually none of these recordings are available today, although at one point 1 in 15 new records released by the major phonograph companies (Edison, Victor, Columbia) were coon music.

The amazing thing about the earliest of Johnson's recordings is that each one was unique. Each record was recorded and cut ON THE SPOT, so he had to do each take perfectly, and was then paid for the session. He made a decent living, but there weren't any copyright laws, or even any recorded industry at this point. It's said he did this song 56 times in one day.

There were comic songs that offended almost every ethnic group, although to be fair, African-Americans portrayal on the sheet music and the art works are pretty horrific. If you dig deep enough, you can find examples (like the ones on my walls:-) that contain images that arent so offense, so you can appreciate it. Johnson's other big song "The Laughing Song" eventually become known around the world and was a hit around the world for whites and blacks alike.It was also a hit in 1947 by Phil Harris sans the offensive lyrics.

Johnson was born to freed slaves, sometime in the early 1840s. He was an actual slave in Virginia, but was freed in 1853 and lived through the Civil War. He drifted to New York in the 1870s and attracted small bits of money whistling on ferry boats for a living, which is how he was discovered and recorded. Johnson led a controversial life and was also accused of killing and murdering his alcoholic girlfriend. His trial was quite a sensation in the early 1900s. I didnt feel like transcribing the words. I will later.

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